PSYCHICS — WOOD- CARRYING MOTH, ETC. 245 



or charm, is equally effective on the animate creation, at 

 least on those species which are known to depredate on 

 their little fields and gardens. To cast a protective spell 

 around these, and secure the fields against vermin, insects, 

 the sciurus, and other species, as well as to protect the 

 crops against blight, the mother of the family chooses a 

 suitable hour at night, when the children are at rest and 

 the sky is overcast, and having completely divested herself 

 of her garments, trails her machecota behind her, and per- 

 forms the circuit of the little field. "^ 



The fat of bears, says Topsel, "some use superstitiously 

 beaten with oil, wherewith they anoynt their grape-sickles 

 when they go to vintage, perswading themselves that if 

 nobody know thereof, their tender vine-branches shall never 

 be consumed by caterpillars. Others attribute this to the 

 vertue of bears' blood. "^ 



Nicander used ''a caterpillar to procure sleep: for so he 

 writes ; and Hieremias Martins thus translates him : 



Stamp but with oyl those worms that eat the leaves, 

 Whose backs are painted with a greenish hue, 



Anoint jonv body with 't, and whilst that cleaves. 

 You shall with gentle sleep bid cares adieu. "^ 



Of a caterpillar that feeds upon cabbage leaves, the 

 Eruca officinalis of Schroder, Dr. James says : ** Bruised, 

 or a powder of them, raise a blister like cantharides, and 

 take off the skin. Moufet says, they will cause the teeth 

 to fall out of their sockets, and Hippocrates writes, that 

 they are good for a Quinsey."* 



Psychidae — Wood-carryings Moth, etc. 



The larvae of the Wood-carrying Moth (of the genus 

 Oiketicus, ovEumeta, Wlk.) of Ceylon, surround themselves 

 with case^made of stems of leav^, and thorns or pieces of 



1 Hist, of Indians of U. S., v. p. 70. 



2 Rist. of Beasts, p. 30. 



3 Moufet, I'heair. Lis., p. 194. Topsel's Hist, of Beasts, pp. 670, 

 1041. 



* Med. Did. 



22 



